KABC Has Found Another Dodger Defender in Nahan

A caller on KABC radio’s “Sportstalk” the other day was upset that the Dodgers sometimes don’t sell tickets to the right-field bleachers, instead cramming everyone into the left-field bleachers.

The caller told Stu Nahan, the show’s host, that he heard the reason was that the club doesn’t want to pay ushers who would have to work that area.

“I don’t think that is the reason,” Nahan said. “I’ll call the Dodger PR office to get an explanation.”

Said the next caller to Nahan: “I thought you were the Dodger PR office.”

The caller, a youngster, unwittingly hit a nerve.

“Wait a minute,” said an irritated Nahan. “I do not work for the Dodgers. I am not on their payroll.”

Maybe not, but Nahan certainly lives by a longtime KABC credo: Thou shalt never criticize the Dodgers, their manager or any of their players.

Not since the mid-1970s, when the “Sportstalk” host was a middle-aged rebel who called himself Superfan, has anyone on that show ever really challenged anything the Dodgers do, on or off the field.

Superfan, who went so far as to criticize such things as Dodger Dogs and other concessions, was eventually fired. George Green, general manager of KABC, said that Superfan was irresponsible, and he sometimes was.

His erroneous reports resulted in several threatened lawsuits against the station.

But looking back, Superfan’s approach was refreshing. At least he didn’t view everything the Dodgers did as wonderful.

Not coincidentally, “Sportstalk,” during Superfan’s stint, obtained its highest ratings.

The present-day version of “Sportstalk” was called soft and puff-oriented here last week, and Green, who still heads the Dodgers’ flagship station, took exception.

“You are entitled to your opinion but in this case you really missed,” Green said. “We are not married to the Dodgers. We are as objective as we can be.

“Actually, Stu Nahan is less tied to the Dodgers than (former host) Bud Furillo was.”

Of course, that’s like saying Tom Lasorda is less tied to the Dodgers than Peter O’Malley.

Green, changing directions, added: “Stu Nahan is not paid to downgrade the Dodgers. The Dodgers are not deserving of the criticism they have been receiving. Some listeners who call in have been unfair.

“Nobody wants to win more than Peter O’Malley and Tom Lasorda. To imply otherwise is incredulous.

“How could anyone call Peter O’Malley cheap?”

Green would make a great publicity agent. Here’s what he says about Nahan: “He’s a dynamic personality, the greatest piece of talent I have ever uncovered. He is the best interviewer I have ever seen. He knows everybody. He gives the fans exactly what they want. He’s got a great sense of humor. We love him. He is absolutely perfect.”

OK.

Like it or not, “Sportstalk” next week will become the only daily afternoon radio sports talk-show in town.

KMPC’s “Sportsline,” originally scheduled to go off the air after the baseball season ends in October, will be discontinued after today’s show.

However, “Angel Talk,” “Ram Talk” and “Bruin Talk,” all conducted by Bob Rowe, will continue before and after games.

“Sportsline” just couldn’t survive going head-to-head against KABC’s “Sportstalk,” and KMPC management decided to replace it with a music-oriented show.

The good thing about “Sportsline” was that its regular host, Joel Meyers, was willing to play a secondary role. He let his guests, usually someone with strong opinions, and his callers be the stars. Meyers simply served as the referee.

There’s a new night-time sports talk show on Anaheim’s KPZE (1190), 10 to midnight Monday through Friday, with Peter Vent and Steve Desaegher.

NBA update: CBS made it official this week, announcing that Billy Cunningham will become the network’s lead NBA analyst next season, replacing Tom Heinsohn. Cunningham has signed a three-year contract, a CBS spokeswoman said.

It is stipulated in the contract that Cunningham must resign as a part-owner of the new Miami Heat franchise before the team begins playing in 1988.

Heinsohn, meanwhile, told USA Today he’s willing to accept CBS’ offer to be the No. 2 analyst.

There have been several theories about Heinsohn’s fall from grace. One is that CBS was bothered by the fact that he is an announcer for the Celtics on cable TV. Another is that he was often accused of being too strong a Celtic fan, particularly when he criticized the suspension of Celtic Robert Parish for attacking Detroit’s Bill Laimbeer during a playoff game last season.

But basically, CBS’ top brass just wasn’t that crazy about his work.

Meanwhile, play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton, whose CBS contract expires soon, has yet to sign a new one.

TV-Radio Notes The Rams’ exhibition game at San Diego Sunday at 5 p.m. will be televised on both ESPN and Channel 11. Former Ram middle linebacker Jack (Hacksaw) Reynolds will join Mike Patrick and Roy Firestone as the guest commentator. One thing in Reynolds’ favor is that during his playing days, he was a student of the game. He spent hours studying game films on his own. Whether he can communicate that knowledge remains to be seen. “I’m a rookie in this,” he said. “I don’t pretend I will do everything correct. I’m sure I’ll say some dumb things.” . . . Lyle Alzado was scheduled to be the guest commentator the following Sunday, when ESPN televises the Raiders’ exhibition game at Dallas. But Alzado had to scratch because of a movie role. He has been replaced by John Matuszak.

Attention NBC: Please, no more Dodger games. Give us contending teams. Saturday at 12:15 p.m., the Dodgers and Philadelphia, two fourth-place teams, will be the “Game of the Week” shown in this area, while most of the country gets a somewhat better game, the New York Yankees at Oakland. The Dodgers will be making their ninth Saturday appearance on NBC in 19 weeks, and their game at Atlanta Sept. 12 is also on the NBC schedule. Enough already. . . . Will someone please explain to Jim Hill the difference between television and radio play-by-play. His descriptions during Saturday’s Raider-San Francisco tape-delayed telecast on Channel 7 were far too detailed and wordy for TV. Hill should study some old Ray Scott tapes to learn a few things about succinctness. . . . Saturday night’s 6 o’clock Raider-Buffalo game will be televised by Channel 7 both Saturday and Sunday at 11:45 p.m. . . . ABC has hired auto racing announcer Paul Page away from NBC to fill a void created by the departure of Jim Lampley. Page will make his debut with ABC Sept. 20, during coverage of the Pennsylvania 500 at Nazareth, Pa.

Quotebook: Skip Caray of WTBS, after Dave Martinez of the Chicago Cubs came up during a rainstorm Tuesday night: “Well, that’s the end of the dry Martinez.” . . . Saturday’s “Wide World of Sports,” on Channel 7 at 4:30 p.m., offers two good events, although neither will be shown live in the West. The first is World Boxing Assn. welterweight champion Mark Breland’s title defense against veteran Marlon Starling in a 15-round bout at Columbia, S.C. Breland has an 18-0 record with 12 knockouts, Starling a 41-4 mark with 25 knockouts. The other is the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, featuring Alysheba, Bet Twice and Temperate Sil. . . . Last year’s Breeder’s Cup at Santa Anita is reviewed in a nicely done pice that will be shown on “SportsWorld” on Channel 4 Sunday at 2:30 p.m. John Forsythe is the narrator. . . . Tom Lasorda will be interviewed on ABC’s “Sportsnite” Monday at midnight.

Is New York ready for Jim Healy? WFAN, the new all-sports station there, is considering using tapes from his KMPC show. . . . Add WFAN: Los Angeles sportscaster Fred Wallin was been invited back to work a second week at the station, Sept. 7-11. . . . There’ll be a one-hour NFL preseason show on Channel 2 Saturday night at 9. Joe Theismann and Barry Tompkins are the hosts. . . . ESPN’s telecast of the Chicago-Miami NFL exhibition game last Sunday was the most-watched sports program in basic cable television history. ESPN said that the telecast was watched in more than five million homes--3.81 million on ESPN and the rest on over-the-air stations in Chicago and Miami that also carried it. The previous viewing record for basic cable was 3.17 million homes for WTBS’ telecast of a Boston-Detroit NBA playoff game May 26. . . . On Sept. 7, WTBS will drop its W and be known as TBS.